Tonye

Tonye Aganaba is a multidisciplinary artist, musician, and performer residing on the unceded territories of the Squamish, Musqueam & Tsleil-Waututh First Nations. They were born in London, England to parents of Nigerian and Zimbabwean descent, and raised in the picturesque seaside town of Weymouth, Dorset. At the age of 13 Tonye moved to Canada, first to Prince Albert, SK, then on to the city of Dawson Creek, BC. Upon graduation Tonye attended the University of Victoria’s Phoenix Theatre Program.

Tonye’s style, like her gender, is fluid (or at the very least non-binary) - but can be described as Soul/Neo-Folk/R&B, and although unique - they have been likened to folx like Lauryn Hill, Ani DiFranco and Chaka Khan. Tonye is a Much More Music Video Award recipient, a steadfast fixture in their arts community - and the kind of singer/performer that turns heads wherever they go.

In early 2015 their trajectory was interrupted by a diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis, but the full stop came two years later, when a car accident on an icy back road in the Peace Region left their spine fractured in six places. All plans were waylaid as they lay bedridden and isolated for months. In the fall of 2017, Tonye parted ways with 604 Records & Paquin Artists and set out on a journey of self-discovery and healing.